Thinking this would be enough to calm Zahir down, Cesare hid his phone under the mattress before Beatrice could return.
He briefly considered trying to overpower her if she came back—but decided against it.
The fact that she was a woman gave him pause, especially since she didn’t seem to have any intention of harming him.
If he acted aggressively, he might end up provoking her instead.
He wondered if he was being too optimistic about the situation, but he felt confident he could get out safely before the day was over.
That was reason enough to avoid resorting to violence.
Judging by how seriously she was playing her part, maybe she was just lost in a fantasy she couldn’t wake up from.
As expected, the woman soon reentered the room with a glass of water in her right hand and a dewy glass bottle in her left—likely delayed by the time it took to fill it.
She poured the water into the cup and handed it to him.
